Fruit Whip: Mango Banana

While Earth Day comes but once a year, I try to routinely challenge myself to make better choices for the planet. In honor of Earth Day 2017, today’s recipe is geared towards reducing food waste by utilizing an ingredient some might throw away.

Overripe bananas. To many, these brown spotty fruits are off-putting. To some they don’t offer the same tastiness as their bright yellow, blemish-free former selves. Growing up, when bananas would begin to get spotty, my mom would put them in the freezer and make banana bread out of them eventually.

Fast forward, I’m not much of a banana bread fiend. But fruit whip does call my name occasionally. Fruit whip is an alternative dessert that contains a lot of nutritional bang for your buck! I use bananas for the base of my fruit whip. While most people think of bananas as a good source of potassium, they’re also a good source of vitamin B6 & C, manganese, and fiber (among many more micronutrients).

For one more Earth Day tip: once your bananas are spotty, peel them and store them in a reusable container in the freezer. By opting for a reusable container rather than a single use plastic baggie, you can create less waste!

Ingredients

3-4 frozen medium, ripe, spotty bananas

2 cups frozen mango

1/2-1 cup water or coconut water

Directions

Add bananas and mango to food processor (or blender) and begin to puree

You will need to stop pureeing to scrap the sides down

Add 1 tbsp of liquid (coconut water or plain water) at a time until desired consistency is reached

You can top this Mango Banana fruit whip as you please, but coconut flakes, chia seeds, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, or chopped peanuts are all yummy ideas!